


When the Nightmare Subsides

by Marasa



Series: Dream Eater [3]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Angst, Clingy Tyler, Comforting, Crying, Cuddling, Fluff, Hella fluffy, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmare, Panic Attack, SO MUCH FLUFF, josh comforts him, protective, rot your teeth, snuggle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 04:55:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11097333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marasa/pseuds/Marasa
Summary: Tyler can't handle nightmares, even when they're not his own.





	When the Nightmare Subsides

Josh wakes to whimpering.

He expects nothing less, especially after the intense nightmare he had just had.

He can't remember the specifics but he can still feel the lingering terror within him. What little Josh can remember consists of a dark forest and some kind of demon stalking him in the fog that hung heavy between the trees. Well, not only Josh- Tyler too.

The spirit had been running low on energy, getting cranky and quiet after keeping to his own head for a couple nights. Josh had ushered his friend into bed with the instruction to just feed from him and Tyler had huffed but finally agreed. Just Josh’s luck for it to be such a bad experience.

Tyler’s whimpers grow in volume until he’s sobbing beside Josh.

“Tyler, Tyler,” Josh says as he hurriedly sits up against the headboard and turns on the lamp.

Once the light’s on, Josh can see clearly that Tyler isn't calming down anytime soon. The small spirit’s chest shakes as he hyperventilates and chokes on his sobs. Tyler's shaking enough to vibrate the whole bed and Josh’s hands are shaking too as they ghost along Tyler’s sides, desperate to touch him but knowing to be cautious.

“Shh, shh, Tyler-”

Josh can't even finish before Tyler is falling into his chest and clawing at his stomach like he's trying to crawl inside of him. Tears soak the side of his neck as Tyler trembles violently. 

Josh wraps his arms around the trembling spirit, rubbing up and down Tyler’s back in an attempt to calm him. Tyler heaves harder and cries a little louder and Josh feels useless. With a soft sigh, Josh’s right hand slips up Tyler’s neck to the back of his head.

“Shh, Tyler,” Josh says, “I'm here. I'm here.”

“S-Saw, y-you,” Tyler hiccups, “s-saw...BLOOD.” Tyler shouts the last word and Josh holds him closer, scared someone down the hall will hear.

Maybe that dream was worse than Josh could remember. He knows he can't control it, but he still somehow feels like absolute shit leaving Tyler alone in that nightmare to watch him be caught by that demon and be killed. He should have woken up sooner. Fuck.

“Josh, Josh, Josh, Josh,” Tyler pleads with his fingers twisting in Josh’s sleepshirt. “Help, help, help.”

Josh pulls back and Tyler whines loudly at his sudden distance, but before his whines can turn into screams, Josh takes Tyler’s face in his hands and presses their foreheads together. Tyler’s red eyes are blown open, lips parted and tears still streaming down his face. Tyler sucks in ragged breaths that sound excruciating and exhales damp breath that smells of tears. He's still shaking uncontrollably.

“Breathe,” Josh says in a low and level voice. “Breathe Tyler.”

And Tyler tries. Josh can feel his weak attempts against lips. Tyler whines and squeezes his eyes shut again.

“I hate this, I hate this, I hate this,” Tyler whines brokenly and begins weeping in earnest again. In between broken and hearty sobs, Tyler stutters out “S-Scared, help J-Josh, scared…” 

“Tell me what you need,” Josh says suddenly. He doesn't expect Tyler to speak but while Tyler is scared of monsters that live in Josh’s dreams, Josh is terrified of the possibility of not being able to aid Tyler. He feels an instinctive need to provide and protect for this entity and not being able to calm him is hell. 

Tyler peeks his eyes open in question. Ruby red doused in fat tears makes Josh’s heart break. The spirit is still shaking as he deeply considers what he does need. Tyler’s cries calm minutely, just enough to allow him to inhale a shuddered breath and answer.

“Protect me,” Tyler whispers brokenly. “J-Joshua please protect me.”

Josh pulls back and stares at Tyler. Those red eyes, those tears streaking his cheeks, that terror tangible in his pupils- Josh is in awe of him. Josh scoots closer and places a hand on Tyler’s cheek and pulls him to his chest. Tyler inhales another hard breath.

“I’ll always protect you, Tyler, always, always, always,” Josh says. He continues mumbling ‘always’ against Tyler’s hairline without realizing it.

Tyler trembles more and Josh continues cooing to him as both of his hands slip down Tyler’s back where his arms circle around the sharp edges of the spirit’s hips. Josh breathes hot against Tyler’s scalp and Tyler breathes fire against the side of Josh’s neck.

“Stay, please, please,” Tyler mutters through his tears.

“Tyler,” Josh says. Tyler shivers with another whine. “We’re….bonded. Me and you. When I summoned you, that was the agreement that we made.” Josh holds him tighter when he feels boiling tears drip down the side of his neck and to his collarbone.

“It's just us,” Josh whispers and he himself shivers at the seriousness of the claim. “All we need is each other.”

“I'll never leave you,” Josh says with his fingers curling in the soft hair on the back of Tyler’s neck.

“I'll always protect you,” Josh says with his lips dragging on the shell of Tyler’s ear, summoning a tremble and airy sigh from the spirit. The response makes Josh smile warmly.

“I'll be here for you because we,” Josh swallows the growing emotion bubbling in his chest, “we need each other.”

Tyler sniffles and turns his face from Josh’s neck. He's still crying with his fingers tangled tight in the fabric of Josh’s shirt.

“I need you, Joshua,” Tyler whispers. “I need you in my life.” Tyler scoots incredibly closer and Josh rubs his thumb on the back of Tyler’s neck.

“I need you too, Tyler.”

“Josh, I-I...” Tyler opens his mouth, tongue trembling. And Josh stills. 

He knows what's next. He can practically taste it. The same words are stuck in his own throat but there's still something that makes him anxious about those three words. Friends say it, but Josh knows if he and Tyler were to utter those words, it would be so much more different. It would be close, intimate, serious. It frightens Josh, so before Tyler can utter what they both feel in those three words, he shushes the spirit.

“Shh,” Josh breathes against Tyler’s temple, “no more talking. Breathe. I have you.”

Tyler gives a tired, weak whine but stops his talking to instead lean further into Josh. It takes a while of subtly rocking and more shushing until Tyler’s crying quiets. The spirit’s fingers squeeze Josh’s shirt while he breathes against Josh’s neck. Tyler’s calmer but Josh can still feel his upset. He shivers intermittently and whimpers with his muscles still tight.

Josh turns his head to the bedside table where the clock reads three in the morning. Josh turns back to the body clinging to him.

“Is sleep out of the question?” Josh whispers. If he's honest, he doesn't really feel like sleeping himself. And Tyler feels the same because all he gives at the suggestion of sleep is a weak whine and a shake of his head. Josh smiles against his temple and presses his lips there. 

It's not a kiss. 

The thought that he might want it to be scares Josh a little. Tyler’s a friend. Tyler most likely doesn't feel the same. It's all hopeful thinking to Josh to even think that there's a possibility for something more. But Josh puts it off in the back of his head to where he can worry about it later; there's more pressing matters at hand.

“Come on, then,” Josh says. He moves to stand but Tyler holds onto him tighter. “Alright,” Josh says. “Hold tight, Ty.”

Once Josh is standing, he readjusts Tyler on his front. The spirit clings to Josh’s with his arms tight around his neck and his legs locked around Josh's waist.

“You weigh nothing, Ty,” Josh teases and Tyler whines again. “Alright, alright, shh, shh.” 

Down the hallway they go, Josh stepping as quietly as he can past the doors on either side of him while Tyler bites Josh’s shirt, trying hard to stifle the remaining sobs working their way from him and not wake the whole house.

Josh deposits him onto the couch and pulls the quilt on the armchair off. He wraps it around Tyler’s shoulders and secures it tightly with a smile. He turns on the television next, a rerun of some kind of late night talk show. Josh turns it down low. He needs Tyler to feel safe. Tyler sniffles.

“Want something to drink? Milk?”

Tyler shakes his head ‘no.’ A few more tears slip down his cheeks. 

“Water?”

No.

“Beer?”

“S-Stay,” the spirit whimpers, “stay with me.”

And that's all it takes for Josh to slide onto the couch beside him. That dream really fucked him up, Josh thinks. Although, Josh thinks he wouldn't be taking it so well if he had been the one to see Tyler being killed by a demon, even if it was just a dream.

“Tyler,” Josh whispers as his fingers caress Tyler’s knee over the quilt. “I'm right here. I'm okay. I'm right here.”

The spirit’s response is to slide onto Josh’s lap, blanket still wrapped around him. He hides his face in Josh’s neck and sniffles some more, a few more tears slipping from his eyes.

“You think I'm really going to leave you…” Josh whispers in realization. Voluntary or not, Tyler must fear the possibility of Josh ceasing to be in his life. 

Tyler doesn't answer.

“I'm not leaving, Tyler,” Josh says. Tyler doesn't acknowledge the sentiment. “Ty, look at me.”

Tyler hesitantly pulls back just enough for Josh to see him. Josh holds Tyler’s damp face in his hands. He sniffles some more. Josh smiles fondly as he wipes the tears dripping down his cheeks with his thumbs.

“Tyler,” Josh says, “I'm not leaving you. Ever. Like I said, we need each other. Understood?”

Tyler barely nods.

“No, Tyler,” Josh says, “I need you to understand. I need you, Tyler.”

A few more tears slip from Tyler’s eyes down his cheeks.

“I need you, Josh,” the spirit whispers.

Josh slips his hands from Tyler’s cheeks to the back of his head and neck, where he gently guides Tyler to lay down on him. Together they both lie down, Tyler tucked half on top of Josh and in between Josh's body and the back of the couch. The spirit nestles his cheek against the center of Josh’s chest over his heart and places the palm of his hand next to his head. Josh can see Tyler slip his eyes shut as he listens to the steady beat.

“I'm here,” Josh whispers. He places his own hand over Tyler’s. “I'll protect you. I'll never abandon you. I'm here.”

They both need this. Tyler clings and Josh clings and they pay no attention to the television. Josh pulls Tyler further up his body until Tyler’s head is tucked under his chin.

“I need you,” Josh whispers against Tyler’s ear.

“Need you, too…”

A heartbeat, steady breath, each other- this is all they need.


End file.
